An OLED panel is formed form a display part comprised from a plurality of OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) arranged in a matrix for display an image, a circuit such as a driver for selectively driving each OLED which forms the display part, and a terminal comprised from a plurality of terminal electrodes connected to a flexible blueprint circuit substrate (referred to below as [FPC substrate]) for supplying an image signal and a drive power to a driver from the exterior. The display part, circuit such as the driver and terminal are formed above a substrate made from glass or ceramics.
In this type of OLED display panel, it is necessary to form a stacked sealing film above the display part in order to improve weather resistance of an organic light emitting layer which forms an OLED and secure reliability. This stacked sealing layer is formed from three layers, a SiN film, organic resin film, and SiN Film in order from the OLED side or from four layers, a SiN film, SiO film, organic resin film and SiN film (for example, refer to Japanese Laid Open Patent 2005-504652). When foreign bodies are attached to the top of a bank which separates OLED's or on the OLED itself, what is called a stepwise break is often produced so that SiN does not wrap up to a part which becomes a shadow of foreign objects when forming a SiN film. In this case, adopting a film structure in which an organic resin film is sandwiched by a SiN film, because the organic resin is formed with a smooth surface shape and envelopes foreign objects, a stepwise break of a SiN formed above thereon is prevented.
The stacked sealing film conventionally is sufficient if it is formed only above a display apart. However, in order to simplify the film formation process as well as secure the effects of sealing, it is preferred that the stacked sealing film is once formed across the entire surface of the OLED display panel. In this case, because a terminal electrode must be exposed in order to be electrically connected with a FPC substrate, after forming a stacked sealing film, it is necessary to remove the part of the stacked sealing film formed above a terminal by etching etc.
However, the stacked sealing film described above includes a SiN film and an organic resin film. Since the etching conditions such as the type of process gas used for etching between a SiN film and organic resin film are different, in order to securely remove the stacked sealing film from above a terminal, what is called step processing must be carried out which is a process for switching the etching conditions for each film to be etched. When this step processing is carried out, the process time is increased and it becomes necessary to use more complex etching apparatus. Therefore, yield is reduced and the cost is increased.
Therefore, the present invention attempts to provide an OLED display panel and manufacturing method of the panel in which a terminal electrode is exposed by performing etching with fixed etching conditions without performing step processing.